Existent represents the philosophy behind Stillwater Artisanal. We strive to define ourselves through our passion and sincerity while accepting that not all aspects of life are readily explainable. To manifest this ideology we present an ale of intrigue. Deep & dark though deceptively dry, braced by a firm yet smooth bitterness and accented with an earthy hop and mild roast aroma. This is an ale for you to define...
’and if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.’ –Nietzsche

Reviews by jondeelee:

Existent opens to what is partly a nice farmhouse ale aroma, with bananas and cloves mixing with a musty funkiness that smells like fermented apple cider and the inside of a grain silo, and partly a very light Flemish sour, with light touches of vinegar spotting the edges. There’s also a nice dose of rosewater, lemon, and pink grapefruit from the hops, which mixes with the cherry, berry, orange, and apricot fruit esters well, though it can leave a bubblegum overtone. Toast crust, biscuit, whole wheat bread, and a smattering of hay form an earthy base. As a whole, the nose is very nice, the sour vinegar providing an excellent counter to the apple cider, and the full assortment of fruity aromas proving very enticing.

On the tongue, the beer opens with a shot of bananas and cloves that mixes instantly with the fermented apple cider and musty funkiness of the farmhouse, followed closely by the touches of vinegar that add extra layers of flavor, and a few sprinkles of white pepper. Fruits follow, with berry, cherry, and orange dominating, though there are also flavorful threads of pineapple and syrupy sweet-tart maraschino cherry. Light grapefruit and lemon from the hops adds more citrus. Brown sugar and vanilla add a bit more to the mix, and the base of toast crust, biscuit, whole wheat bread, and light hay translate well from the nose. The aftertaste is a continuation of the main mouthful, the farmhouse banana/clove/cider/must especially present, and lingering on the tongue for a good while. Mouthfeel is a dry medium, and carbonation is medium.

Overall, this is a well-made farmhouse ale which offers a wide variety of neatly-balanced flavors, and in good strength and proportion. There is a slight alcoholic overtone, especially later in the mouthful and in the aftertaste, but it doesn’t mar the palate. Worth trying.

More User Reviews:

Heavily carbonated. A dark chocolate rye in appearance. Smells strongly of wood, prunes, some slight citrus tang. The taste is exactly what I want. Coy at first, slightly toasted malt and strong carbonation. Swallow and a torrent of turned bread and earthy funk grabs your palate. Some rye, some bitter... Tastes fungal in a pure way. If I were a richer man, I'd drink this every day.

Pours a deep brown color with a tan head. The color is odd, for a saison. Or maybe that's just my take on things. The smell is mostly earthy and deeply roasted malts. A bit bready too. Taste is interesting. I pick up lots of leather, some damp earth, lots of the malt that was present in the aroma, a touch of toffee/caramel sweetness, and an odd bitterness that is definitely not from hops; almost like burnt coffee. My first Stillwater beer that I don't absolutely love.

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a Duvel tulip glass. Bottled on 01/21/14.

Appearance: Pours a very dark brownish black with some hints of ruby. About one finger of off white head that quickly fades away. Leaves a decent amount of lacing.

Smell: A dark and spicy yeast forward Belgian style aroma with good hints of roast and funk. Belgian yeast with some hints of clove, pepper, and farmhouse funk. Dark malt with hints of dark chocolate, coffee, toast, caramel, toffee, biscuit, and grains. Big fruit hints of bananas along with some apple, pear, grapes, and slight citrus hints of orange and lemon. Subtle earthy hop hints. Also some hints of candied sugar. A pretty solid aroma.

Taste: Like the smell, a yeasty and fruity Belgian style taste with a big presence of dark malt notes. Upfront Belgian yeast with notes of clove, peppers, and some farmhouse funk. Dark roasted barley malt with notes of dark chocolate, coffee, toasted bread, biscuit, caramel, toffee, and grains. Big taste of bananas along with some fruit notes of pear, apple, grapes, lemon, and orange. Slight notes of candied sugar. Some earthy and grassy hops in the background as well. A pretty good taste.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a medium to high level of carbonation. Spicy, juicy, and somewhat prickly. Finishes dry.

Overall: A very unique and good take on a Saison. Has the spicy and fruity Belgian notes with a nice balance of dark malt.

A dark brown color, Existent certainly defies the expectations for a Saison at the start. It's no surprise, though, given Stillwater's exploratory nature and American brewers delving into brewing Saisons with dark malts, smoking them, etc. While brown, Existent does exhibit a reddish hue. It develops a pillowy tan head that rises to nearly two fingers tall and rests there stubbornly. A good amount of thick patching is left behind on the walls of the glass as the beer recedes down it.This is a toasty one with some muted yeast notes in the aroma and a bit of molasses, not as sweet as one might think, but adding more tot he toast note due to smelling not burnt but close to it. It is spicy, more the kitchen variety and plenty peppery. There is a faint whiff of band-aid, a very slight phenolic note, faint but detectable.That doesn't translate to the flavor, though. It's very interestingly toasty, herbal, spicy, and lightly smoky with just a little sweetness as some dried dark fruits ride it out. Yeast comes out with the toast into the finish but really rounds it out well.Carbonation is fairly high without being too filling or spritzy, and this medium-bodied beer holds an even keel between crisp and smooth.